The bill, known as the State Wolf Management Act, calls for the delisting of all wolves in the Northern Rockies population, except for those in Wyoming, from protection under the Endangered Species Act. The act defines that population as including wolves in Idaho, Montana, northern Utah and parts of Oregon and Washington. Wolves in Wyoming would remain listed under the act until that state developed a federally approved management plan.

A similar situation occurred in May 2009, when most of the Northern Rockies population was delisted with the exception of Wyoming. However, U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy ruled in early August that a distinct population segment such as that in the Northern Rockies could not be split along state lines and must be listed or delisted in its entirety.

Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal said late last month that Wyoming is not inclined to change its plan, which defines wolves in much of the state as a “predator species” that can be shot on sight…